West Virginia has placed its reservation, but only time will tellwhether two US route numbers will be among those designated forfuture expressways in the Mountain State.

Highways has recommended US route numbers for Appalachian CorridorH and the Coalfields Expressway and state route numbers for the MonValley and Shawnee expressways but, according to DOH officials, evenwith the concurrence recently requested from Virginia, through whichboth US routes would pass, the American Association of State Highwayand Transportation Officials has the final word.

Says Highway Commissioner Sam Beverage: "AASHTO's SpecialCommittee on US Route Numbering will not approve the use of these twonumbers until we are ready to place them on highways that areactually in existence. It could be that when that time comes, we willhave to choose other available numbers."

Corridor H from I-79 at Weston to I-81 in Virginia would bedesignated US 48, the number once given to Corridor E from I-79 atMorgantown to I-70 in Maryland before it became Interstate 68. TheCoalfields Expressway from I-77 at Beckley to US 460 at Grundy,Virginia, would become US 121. WV 43 would identify the Mon ValleyExpressway from I-68 at Cheat Lake to I-70 in Pennsylvania, mirroringthat state's current designation of its portion as PA 43. The ShawneeExpressway from US 52 at Crumpler in Mercer County to I-77 at Ghentwould be numbered WV 78. Even the uncertainty over US routedesignation has not dampened the enthusiasm of an active supporter ofone of the future expressways.

Coalfields Expressway Authority Executive Director RichardBrowning notes he is "excited" at Highways' designation of theCoalfields Expressway as US 121. "This gives our highway an officialidentity of its own," he says. "When I talk to people who come intothe Authority's offices in Pineville, I tell them that every daybrings us a little closer to actual construction. Route designationis definitely a milestone and a very significant event in thedevelopment of this highway for Raleigh, Wyoming and McDowellcounties. Completion of new US 121 will put these three counties on alevel playing field for economic development with the rest of WestVirginia and our sister state of Virginia, and that's what we're herefor."